V. I. Lenin

To The Bureau Of The Women's Congress

In Petrograd Gubernia[1]

Written:10 January, 1919First Published:First published inPravdaPetrogradskayaPravdaNo. 11,
      January 16, 1920; Published according to the manuscriptSource:Lenin’sCollected
	Works, 4th English Edition, Progress Publishers, Moscow,
      1965, Volume 30, page 299Translated:George HannaTranscription/HTML Markup:Sally Ryan
      (1st version); David Walters
      & Robert Cymbala (2nd version).Copyleft:V. I. Lenin Internet Archive
      (www.marx.org) 2002. Permission is granted to copy and/or
      distribute this document under the terms of theGNU Free Documentation
	License

Comrades, since I have no opportunity of attending
      your Congress I should like to send you in writing my greetings
      and my best wishes for success.

We are now happily ending the Civil War. The Soviet Republic is
      becoming stronger through its victories over the exploiters. The
      Soviet Republic can and must, from now on, concentrate its forces
      on a more important task, one that is nearer and dearer to us, to
      all working people—on a bloodless war, a war for victory
      over hunger, cold and economic chaos. In this bloodless war, women
      workers and peasants have an especially big role to play.

May the Women's Congress in Petrograd Gubernia help found,
      consolidate and organise an army of working women for this
      bloodless war which should and will bring still greater victories
      to Soviet power.

With communist greetings,

V. Ulyanov (Lenin)

January 10, 1920

[1]The First Congress of Women Workers and Peasants of Petrograd
    Guberniawas held January 15-16, 1920. It was attended by 403
    delegates, of whom 157 were Communists and 246 non-party; among
    them were 91 peasant women, 131 workers, 133 intellectuals, 15
    dressmakers, 11 housewives and two militia women. Though the
    non-party delegates constituted the majority, the Congress was
    communist in spirit. The agenda was as follows: the present
    situation, the Communist Party and its attitude to women workers
    and
      peasants, the land question, the consumers' commune, social
    education, etc. On the opening day a telegram of greetings from
    Lenin was read out to which the Congress sent a reply. Yelena
    Stasova greeted the Congress on behalf of the C.C., R.C.P.(B.) and
    the central department of women workers and peasants. She stressed
    the importance of the coming “week for the front” and
    called upon women delegates to strain every effort to restore
    normal life to the country. The Congress demonstrated the striving
    of the women workers and peasants to take an active part in
    building up the Soviet Republic.

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